Saturday, November 08, 2014

Tsukiji Fish Market (Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market) is to relocate from its present location near Ginza to the Tokyo waterfront in Toyosu, Koto-ku. The new Tsukiji will open on Saturday, November 7th, 2016.

The new Tsukiji Fish Market was first projected to open at the end of March, 2016. This was only a projection, however, and the development was delayed as the topsoil of the landfill at the building site was decontaminated from the gas plant that previously occupied the site. November 7, 2016 is now the latest quoted date.

Increasing construction costs are also an issue in the timing of the opening as is the planned siting of the 2020 Olympic Village in the area.

The new Tsukiji Fish Market site (to be called New Toyosu Fish Market or Toyosu Shin Shijo in Japanese) will be 80% bigger than the present facility, constructed in a mall-style layout with more spacious restaurants for visitors to sample the fresh sushi and sashimi.

Some critics argue that the move to the man-made island may lead to the world's biggest fish market losing some of its shitamachi character, especially as the vegetable market will remain at the old site, thus splitting the traditional produce market in two.

The nearest stations to the new Tsukiji site are Toyosu on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line and Yurikamome Line or Shin Toyosu Station one stop further south east on the Yurikamome Line or alternatively Shijomae Station one more stop on.

From Toyosu Station walk parallel with the Yurikamome Line elevated tracks past the Gas Museum, Wild Magic Urban Outdoor Park and MIFA Football Cafe. The new Tsukiji Fish market construction site is on your left across the road from Shin Toyosu Station.